Webinar: Local Health Department Capacity, Public Health Priorities, and Community Health Workers

This seminar uses national data from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) National Profile of Health Departments survey to explore organizational capacity in local health departments (LHDs) and how it relates to foundational public health services (FPHS) capabilities and health screenings in LHDs. There is substantial variation between LHDs in different contexts in terms of their organizational capacity, and capacity can impact what LHDs can accomplish. 

Two studies will be discussed. First, we examine differences in LHDs' FPHS activities between expenditure levels, full time equivalent positions, and local population size. Second, we examine health screening activities among LHDs who employ a community health worker (CHW), a physician, both, or neither. Capacity matters a great deal for what LHDs can do, but LHDs may be able to act strategically to increase capacity and thus their activities.